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"Twenty days, and a mass-producible underwater breathing potion. Here—I kept my promise."
A turquoise-blue potion and an alchemical formula were handed over together by Lisa, but before taking them, Victor Wang noticed something else first.
"You've got dark circles…"
"Oh, this… heh, don't worry about it." Lisa awkwardly brushed aside the hair on her forehead and tugged down the brim of her purple witch's hat, trying to hide her weary face, then smiled. "The final simplification work for this potion was more troublesome than expected, so I had to work some overtime."
Since the matter had been settled, Victor Wang didn't press further. He kept it in mind, stored away the underwater breathing potion, then unfolded the alchemical formula and etched every material and step deeply into his memory.
Lisa explained, "The enhanced underwater breathing potion we initially developed could last for half an hour, but the materials were far too precious, completely unsuitable for mass production. After many adjustments, this version can only last ten minutes, but its advantage is that the materials are easy to gather."
"Ten minutes is enough. Even people who can't swim would be able to respond properly during a flood, and calmly reach the surface from underwater. If that's still not enough, they can just carry a few extra vials, and with prepared boats, it'd be foolproof for most people."
"Mm. Also, considering that it might be used underwater, where swallowing would be inconvenient, this potion can also take effect through skin contact. That said, it's less effective than oral use, and the exact duration depends on how much of the potion comes into contact with the skin."
"Very thorough. Someone will definitely be saved because of this!"
"As long as it helps." Lisa sat back down and waved her hand, clearly ushering him out. "Alright, alright, don't linger here. Go do what you want to do."
…
Fontaine truly lived up to its name as the Nation of Water.
Yet for anyone arriving in Fontaine for the first time, the first thing they'd notice was its abnormal terrain—aside from Petrichor Town, the entire Fontaine landmass sat more than three hundred meters above Teyvat's baseline.
Just by looking at the map, there was a clear boundary between Fontaine and its surroundings—the Sumeru Desert, Chenyu Vale in Liyue, even the Fontaine Outer Sea where Petrichor Town was located—clearly highlighting its uniqueness.
And atop Fontaine's elevated landmass lay vast stretches of water. The entire nation was divided by waterways, each island seeming to be embraced by surrounding waters. Due to their immense scale and elevation above the baseline, these waters earned the name "Fontaine High Seas."
However, those who knew better would say that the Fontaine High Seas were, in fact, inland lakes filled with freshwater.
Whether they truly counted as inland lakes was debatable, but the "seawater" of the Fontaine High Seas was indeed freshwater—and not ordinary freshwater at that. According to legend, in Fontaine, those who could properly wield elemental power could breathe and swim freely underwater.
Victor Wang knew this. Though he didn't know whether he himself—without the blessing of the Hydro Eidolons—or Fatui using Delusions could manage it, Vision holders and Lumine, who had gained Hydro elemental power through the Statue of the Seven, could indeed breathe underwater in the Fontaine High Seas.
That said, this didn't conflict at all with the shipbuilding plan or the development of underwater breathing potions. After all, ordinary people made up the majority.
If the Fontaine High Seas were higher than the baseline, wouldn't the water flow downward?
Of course it would.
Most of the Fontaine High Seas' edges formed waterfalls due to the height difference. Day and night, the waters surged toward the baseline, merging into the Fontaine Outer Sea, connecting with all of Teyvat's oceans, and ultimately being absorbed by the world, settling into calm.
Then wouldn't the Fontaine High Seas eventually dry up, leaking every day like that?
They wouldn't.
In recent years, because of the prophecy of submersion, the sea level of the Fontaine High Seas had not fallen—instead, it had been slowly rising, gradually encroaching upon Fontaine's already limited land.
At its core, Neuvillette had said that after the All-Devouring Narwhal consumed the energy of the Primordial Sea, its ever-growing size was the main reason behind the rising sea levels… that whale again. Even if the prophecy from Celestia was destined to occur, that didn't mean its executor was right.
Listening to the roar of waterfalls, the cries of seagulls, and the bustle of sailors, Victor Wang temporarily set these thoughts aside. Because of the massive height difference between the Fontaine High Seas and the Outer Sea, Fontaine's exchanges with other nations weren't easy. To address this, Fontaine had built specialized ports for vertical transport. He was now standing at Romaritime Harbor, where he had last met Charlotte.
Using manpower to help ships overcome a height difference of over a hundred meters wasn't particularly complex in principle. By dividing the height difference into stepped, sealed locks, opening the upper gates to fill the lock or draining water downward, the water level inside the lock could be used to control the ship's height.
Perhaps finding this method inefficient, Romaritime Harbor had adopted a simpler and more direct solution—the designers turned the bottom of the lock into an energy-lifted platform, transforming the entire lock into a gigantic "water-filled ship elevator."
He hadn't examined it closely last time, so now that he saw its true nature, he felt a brief moment of surprise. Soon after, Victor Wang withdrew his downward gaze and turned toward the Statue of the Seven behind him.
Whether ship elevators or passenger elevators, they were all powered by an energy known as Indemnitium.
This was a Fontaine-exclusive form of energy. It wasn't elemental power, nor Abyssal or spiritual energy, but something derived from humanity—from "judgment." During trials held at the Opera Epiclese, the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale gathered people's faith in justice and converted it into energy to supply all of Fontaine.
In Fontaine, Indemnitium powered everything—from driving patrol vessels to providing daily energy for the entire city. Yet in truth, only a small portion of the Indemnitium produced by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale was used for city operations… the rest had been accumulating, for nearly five hundred years now, waiting to be used to kill the person upon the Hydro Archon's throne.
Before officially entering Fontaine, Victor Wang once again touched the Statue of the Seven with a sense of ceremony. As expected, there was no response… that guiding voice that had first led him had not spoken to him since Liyue's Geo Statue.
Looking on the bright side, since that voice had made an exception for him when he met Nicole some time ago, perhaps it meant he was walking the right path—and no longer needed guidance.
Just then, the arrival chime of the patrol rail ship sounded. He didn't hesitate any longer, boarding it like a traveler new to the land.
"Welcome aboard! I'm this ship's guide, Aeval!"
"Hello."
"Welcome to the Clementine Line Aquabus. We'll be departing from Romaritime Station to Fontaine City. Since this route has fewer passengers, feel free to choose any seat you like! However, during the ride, please do not extend your head, hands, or any objects such as swords or cameras outside the ship. If any accidents occur as a result, the Aquabus operator will not be held responsible."
"Understood."
"Then, it's time for a joyful departure!"
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